Road To Nationals: Week 16: This is why you're weak

When I first started Crossfitting back in 2010 at Crossfit Tribe (Rest In Peace), we used to meet up every Sunday to work on our weaknesses, and we always had such a grand old time.

I remember looking in the mirror before leaving the house and thinking, "I suck at overhead squats. I suck at snatching. I suck at... everything?"

And I can't help but think about how much I've grown as an athlete since then.

Because when we talk about "weaknesses," sometimes it can become a labyrinthian quest of sorts.

Because there is a difference between having a weakness and being weak.

I'm writing it again:

There is a difference between having a weakness and being weak.

Truthfully, life is pretty easy when you're plain, old fashioned weak.

Ultimately, what it means is that you just have to sack up: Push more. Pull more. Follow (literally) any program. You'll be fine (and dare I say that maybe this is some advice for life, too?).

Think about it:

If you can't squat double your bodyweight. You just need to squat more; you don't need a coach to tell you what's wrong with your squat.

If you can't clean your body weight. You just need to push and pull more. You don't need a coach to tell you what's wrong with your clean.

Your only weakness is that you're weak...

Looking back, I remember beating myself up about my clean for a while in those early years of my training.

"Why can't I clean 225?"

Insert Inner Monologue: You're having a hard time cleaning 225 because you can't even front squat 225. Idiot.

Now, I only clean maybe 3-4 times a year (#strugglesofpowerlifting), and I weigh the same...

But I can clean 225 from the hip for a triple because my front squat is 330 and I can deadlift 500lbs.

Life gets easy when you're stronger.

... until you start to realize that you have legitimate weaknesses...

Note: I also know how to clean.

The Truth 

After several email exchanges with my coach, despite making great strength gains as we work through programming leading up to 2016 Nationals, he dropped some pretty serious news on me:

I'm broken.

I don't mean to sound melodramatic, but it's true. I am. It's why my chest falls in the squat. It's why my lower back rounds in my deadlift. It's why I'm not very strong overhead.

I'm not weak by any means, but it's very apparent that I have weaknesses that need correcting.

With that being said, over the next several weeks, expect to see videos like the one below:

The first depressing thing about starting a new program after two weeks of eating whatever I want: My belly is back. And it sucks. However, it's to be expected. I could focus on dieting down and hitting cardio and doing whatever else I need to do to look better in front of a mirror, but it's a slippery slope, and for right now, I'd rather focus on the OTHER weakness...

The focus here is on the lower back. Coach Kev more or less told me that despite pulling that 500, I'm a time-bomb if my back keeps rounding. Because of this, you can expect to see me resetting in my deadlifts and performing A LOT of mobility/preactivation/isolation work.

Note: It's not fun, and it doesn't look cool. Nobody cares about how well you pull 70%. And nobody cares about working on glute activation or T-spine work.

But my body cares; and I can't set a record or podium at Nationals if I'm out because a disk exploded or my pec came unglued.

Welcome to the next 33 weeks, folks.

Here's to being weak and fighting weakness.

All Best,
C